Precious metal amalgamator



3, 193.5 J. A: HA-TTON 2,

PREC I OUS METAL AMALGAMATOR Filed March 2, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet l Snnentor J56 AId/LMSON Haffan Cittomeg Aug. 13, 1935. J. A. HATTON PRECIOUS METAL AMALGAMATOR Filed March 2, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Au 13, 1935. J. A. HATTON 2,010,989

PREG I OUS METAL AMALGAMATOR Filed March 2, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 a /6/7/ l9 V z/f T1975 lnnentor John Andrewson Half/o attorney Patented Aug. 13, 1935 Y 2,010,939,

.- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE g 2,010,989 PRECIOUS METAL AMALGAMA'roR John Andrewson Hatton, Bellingham, Wash. Application March 2,1932, serial No. 596,281 2 Claims. (o1. zoo-s7) My invention relates to means for treating and and to permit mass While in a quiescent State recoveringof the precious metal content of related. Contact the a a t p substances; 7 I Fig. 4 is'a-top, perspective view, of the elements The primary t i th carrying t, of my forming the removable cylindrical member.

operation consists in'grinding the mineral bear- 5 is a diagrammatical layout of the mill '5 ing mass to a relatively fine state so that it may and 9 the a gamator shown in their proper pass through a relatively fine-meshed screen, the Working relationship and t a ng 50111131011 reduction being. carried on the presence of tanks diSDOSEd above the and. a, $0111" m t n mercury of amalgamator plates After tion settling tank disposed below the amalgama- 10 reduction has been effected, the effluent is transtor mill and illustrating the solutions as being f r d to n amalgamator mm where ama1 separated in a. close cycle in order that they may gamation is continued. Thereafter the treated be-used over and overagam h added matenal m ass'may be passed over a vanner, or concentratbeing Supplied only to supplement thayt by Y f ing table, and finally delivered into a settling basin Omtlon and v n losses- The reductu?n mm 1s where the solids are precipitated and the liquid adapted-T01 g y Cha ging with prev1ously re- 5 is returned to the delivery tank for reuse, as by dined matenals through f chute and the S0111 being pumped theremto t ons are adapted for gravity feed from the soluone of the objects of my invention is o provide tron tank to the mill, the over flow bemg carried a simple means for the treating of materials havfrom (the reduction amalgamatmg mm to the ing a precious metal content that will be simple to install, eificient to operate and that is particularly adapted for continuousoperation where relatively low temperatures are encountered.

A still further object of my invention consists %5 in providing means for the recovery of precious metals that will aid in the recovery of the precious. metals in a high state of purity.

l A still further object of my means of recovery of the precious metal content from a ground mass consists in the utilization of solutions that will maintain the mercuryin a'high state of amalgae mating eficiency. p v

With these and incidental objectsin View, the invention consists incertain novel features of construction and combination of parts, the essential elements of. which are set forth in the appended cla ms, and a preferred form of embodiment of which is hereinafter shown with reference to the drawings which accompany and form a part of 40 this specification.

The invention in its preferredembodiment is embodied in the accompanying drawings in mating mill flows by gravity to the settling tank or. basin;

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

The mill is primarily comprised of a base I. A 25 ball race 2 is disposed within the base and the race is fixedly maintained in position as through the use of screws 3. A groove' l is disposed within the race centrally thereof and at the low'point into which mercury will normally gravitate in the 30 operationof the mill. Atap 4Ais provided for tapping off the mercury and itsamalgam.

Grinding balls 5 are disposed within the raceway and if the mill is to be made in'the form of a faced raceway 6 is disposed within the milland disposed above the row of balls 5 and below the row of balls 1 so that the double faced raceway 6 has ball receiving grooves in the oppositely disposed faces thereof. The raceway carrying the 4 double faced groove is secured to the frame as through the use of screws 8. A spider 9 is dis- Which posed within the top of the frame of the mill and Fig f t an inverted raceway I0 is disposed below the 1S 1 {agmen r sec of spider" and is secured thereto. Compression m Its Pssentla'l m springs II are disposed about spindles 12 that 2 1s s f plan t mecha* upwardly extend from the arms of the spider 9.

i tfi fi F t f fi 11119 "A discharge spout |3.is disposed centrally of 3 5 9 he direct on indicated. the mill and is adapted for removing the treat- Fig. 3 1s a Sld B'Vl6W, partially in section, of th ing solutions and the finely ground residue from 50 Qoncentmtillg table, a v b e cy inder having the central portion of the mill. A perforated spaced baffles inwardly extending from its inner hood is disposed above the discharge spout 13. surface to break up and to arrest the swirl of the .A hollow frusto-conical hood [5 is disposed above massbeing treated, the cylinder being perforated the perforated end of the discharge spout and the to facilitate the passing of the. mass therethrough, lighter materials and the treating solutions being amalgamator. The overflow from the amalga- 20.

double ball or twin ball mill a second double 35- removed therefrom pass through suitable openings of the frusto-conical hood and escape through the discharge chute. A driving shaft runs from the driven bevel gear l6 and runs vertically through the top frame support ll and is secured to and drives the frusto-conical hood l5 and the double faced raceway 6 that is secured thereto.

A driving bevel pinion I 8 coacts with the driven bevel gear iii. The driving pinion I8 is disposed upon a .shaft ifi'and the power for driving the same is applied by belt or other means to a driving pulley that is disposed upon the shaft 19.

The double faced raceway and the balls coacting therewith are driven at a fairly high rate of speed and at a sufficient speed to set up a centrifugal action Within the mill that is directly imparted to the treating solutions and the treated mass disposed within the mill, the same being suflicient to cause the treated mass to rise substantially higher at the inner surface of the outer wall of the mill'than at the discharge spout disposed central thereof sothat there will be a relatively freer circulation of the lighter materials and those of greatest fluidity than there is of the heavier materials.

a The materials having a high specific gravity are made to contact the inner surface of the outer wall of the device. The inner wall ZlA of the mill frame is preferably made cylindrical in form, and a copper corrugated amalgamator plate 22 is disposed within the mill frame and contacts the inner surface of the cylinder 2!. The primary purpose andobject of making the copper plate 22 corrugated is to increase the working areaof the amalgamating plate and simultaneously therewith to create receiving pockets in the sinuous line formed by the corrugated amalgamator plate that will facilitate the settling of the materials therein as the reduction is accomplished.

A perforated wearing plate 23 is disposed in spaced relationship with the amalgamating plate and is intended as a wearing plate and also to render guiescent the materials entering and contacting with the sinuous amalgamating plate, during treatment in order that the same may be made more efficient;

A plurality of battle bars 24 may be secured to the inner surface of the perforated wearing plate 23, or they may be independently supported, the same being spaced apart. The object and purpose of the bafiie bars is to break up the swirl of the fluid mass being treated to facilitate the separation of the heavier materials being car ried therein and to permit their engagement with and resting upon the sinuous surface of the amalgamator plate.

, A scraper bar Ziengages the top surface of the perforated hood i i and one or more scraper brushes 26 are secured to the inner surface of the base of the frusto-conical member to maintain the perforations 27, disposed in the side walls and the top of the perforated overflow hood in a satisfactory working condition.

It will be necessary from time to time to lift off and remove the central portion of the mill in order to replace'the amalgamator plateand to make the recoveries therefrom. The assembly is so made that the total central driving assembly may be removed from the mill well in order to facilitate the removal of the same. The mass to be treated is delivered by gravity into the mill through a delivery spout 28 and the materials are led therethrough and directly into the mill. The delivery spout i3 delivers the treated mass from the mill into an amalgamator mill 29 that is disposed below the grinding and amalgamator mill sufficiently to permit a free flowing of the mate-- rials therefrom.

The lighter materials and the treating solutions emanating from the amalgamator mill 29 are delivered into a chute 51 by which they are conducted into a settling basin 58.

While I have here shown the mass being treated as passing directly from the amalgamator mill 29 to the settling basin 58, I do not wish to be limited to the direct flowing of the materials as it may be necessary in the treating of certain class of materials to pass the materials over other forms of plates to further aid in the recovery of the precious materials being treated. The treating solutions are initially placed in a tank 59 that is disposed above the primary grinding mill and the treated solutions are delivered from the tank 59 through a pipe 60 that has a valve 5! disposed therein, that permits the treating solutions to flow by gravity through the pipe directly into the primary mill. The treating solutions with other admixtures picked up are finally delivered into the settling basin 58 and fromthere pumped back by any suitable pumping unit 62 through the pipe 63 directly into the primary holding tank 58.

While the form of mechanism and the methods herein shown and described are admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form of embodiment herein shown and described, as it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What I claim is:

1. In an ore grinding mill of the class described, the ccmbination of a receptacle, an amalgamator plate disposed within the receptacle and adjacent the wall thereof, a perforated wear plate disposed adjacent the amalgamator plate and provided with a plurality of vertically arranged bafile bars, a plurality of ball races disposed within the receptacle, a plurality of balls rotatably mounted between the races, means for feeding material into the receptacle and into the path of movement of said balls, and screened outlet means for discharging the materials from said receptacle.

2. In an ore grinding mill of the class described, the combination of a cylindrical receptacle, a cylindrical longitudinally corrugated amalgamator plate disposed within the receptacleand adjacent the wall thereof, a cylindrical perforated wear plate disposed adjacent the amalgamator plate and provided with a plurality of vertically arranged baflie bars, a ball race fixedly mounted within the receptacle, a companion race rotatably mounted within the receptacle and formed with a race on its upper side, a companion race for the upper side of said rotatable race yieldingly mounted within the receptacle, a plurality of balls rotatably interposed between said races, said fixedly mounted ball race having an annular groove formed therein and means interconnecting with said groove and a point exterior of the receptacle for drawing off a liquid fromsaid groove.

JOHN ANDREWSON HATTON. 

